Azkuna Zentroa has selected the Project Espacio public(itari)o by Mario Paniego (Bilbao, 1978) as part of the Komisario Berriak programme to support curatorship and promote the development and consolidation of new professionals in the art world.
Mario Paniego’s exhibition project focuses on the presence of advertising in the
environment and the noise it produces in daily life in cities, «snatching a large part of our public and personal space away from us», says the artist. Espacio public(itari)o, which was chosen from among the 18 proposals submitted, calls for a reconsideration of the rise of advertising in our lives and especially in public spaces. As the visual artist recalls, his interest in developing this Project «arose from the experience of seeing how advertising in public spaces has been increasing in Bilbao in recent years, while in other cities around the world, by contrast, it has been decreasing due to citizen initiatives and municipal regulations».
The artist proposes «that society reconsider the increase of advertising in our lives, and especially in public spaces». The project is structured in three parts:
first, he examines different cities around the world that have restricted the use of advertising in public spaces, explaining these initiatives and how they were developed and implemented.
Next, he looks at the artistic practice and activism of different groups and artists from all over the world who work around this issue by using advertising for their own proposals or using public space to effectsocial reflection.
Finally, the project is opened to citizen participation around the presence of
advertising in the environment. This is accomplished by inviting educational centres to explore the issue through the use of advertising tools and by working with other communities of audiences who are able to express their concerns and their vision of the issue through different dynamics and workshops
Description:
Espacio públic(itari)o [Exhibition] (03/12/2020-31/01/2021) - The visual and conceptual artist, Mario Paniego, presents the Espacio públic(itari)o (public space/advertising space) project as part of the Komisario Berriak programme, to support the practice of curating and to promote the careers
of up-and-coming professionals in the art world. This exhibition examines the rise of advertising in our lives and especially in the public space. As the artist explains, his interest in undertaking this project “comes from the experience of seeing how advertising in public spaces has been on the rise in recent years in Bilbao, while in other cities around the world, by contrast, it has been on the
decline thanks to citizen initiatives and local regulations. In this sense, Espacio públic(itari)o is a case study that looks at how different cities around the world have restricted advertising in public spaces, giving visibility to
the artistic practice and activism of different groups and international artists focusing on this topic, with the aim of causing the citizenry to reflect: is advertising in the public space necessary?.
NO-AD DAY - Bilbao (202/11/27) - As part of the Espacio públic(itari)o exhibition project, Mario Paniego undertook on 27 November, coinciding with Black
Friday, an activity in the streets of Bilbao and in Azkuna Zentroa, promoting the emptying of advertían from several screens, as fostered since 2014 by the artist Vermibus through the NOADDAY initiative in line with the Buy Nothing Day movement.
Espacio públic(itari)o [Round table discussion] (20/01/2021) - A critical and constructive reflection on the presence of advertising in public spaces and its impact on social life in the city. Participants: Pablo Vilá (CEO of Comunitac), Tomás del Hierro (Director of Public Space at Bilbao City Council), Karmele Herranz Pascual (Doctor of Social and Environmental Psychology and Researcher Specialising in Urban Comfort at TECNALIA Research and Innovation) and Ula Iruetagoiena (Architect and lecturer at the UPV). Moderator: Mario Paniego
